Improvement in sewing-machine



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`GEORGE REHFUSS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN BUTTON-HOLE OVER-@EAMING AND SEWING-MACHINE COMPANY, OF PENNSYL VANI A.

Letters Patent No. 102,710, ZuteeZfM'afy 3, 1870.

IMPQROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINE.

The Schedule refened to in these Letters Patent and makingprt of the same Nature all Object of the I Mention.

Myinvention consists principally of a combination feed for sewing-machines, composed of a feed-bar of ordinary construction and of one or more plates or sections attached to and rendered adjustable upon the said feed-bar, so that, by their use, the extent of serrated feeding-surface may bcincreased or diminished as hereafter described, this enabling the character of the feed to be changed according to the nature otthe work to be performed by the machine, it being, for instance, caused to act as a side-feed only, when the machine is toV be used for circular or embroidering work, and as a combined side vand back feed or haelt feed only, for hemming or other straight sewing.

My invention also consists of a peculiar retaining and locking device to be used in connection with the said adjustable sections of the feed-bar, and, finally, of a tension-spindle arranged within the shuttle, and rendered self-retaining in any position to which itis adjusted, as hereafter described.

Description oft/1e .Accompanying Drawing.

Figure l is a view of a part of a sewing-machine with my improvements;

Figure 2, the saine viewed from a side opposite that shown in 5g. l;

Figure 3 is a plan view of fig. l;

Figures 4, 5, and 6 are detached views of the upper portion of the feed-bar drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figures 7, S, and 9, enlarged views of the shuttle; and

Figures 10 and 11, detached views, also enlarged, of parts of the shuttle.

General Description.

A represents a vertical plate, arranged to be secured to the under side of the bed-plate of a sewing1nachine, and to one side of this plate is attached the feed-bar B, and to its opposite side the shuttle-carrier O, the latter being, in the present instance, hung to the plate by the same pin a, which serves to guide the lower forked end of the feed-bar.

A spiral'spring, b, tends to force the feed-bar in the direction of the arrow, iig. 1, and a crank on the main shaft ofthe machine, or equivalent device, in combination with this spring, imparts the necessary combined vibrating and vert-ical reciprocating movement to the upper end of the feed-bar, the extent ot' this movement, and, consequently, the length ofthe stitch, being regulated by a pin, c, on an adjustable lever, F, hung to the plate A. (see iig. 1.)

The feed-bar has an upper' serrated surface, Zi, as usual, and to the edge ot' the bai-'opposite that to which the spring b is connected, is attached a plate, G, which has also serrations or teeth in its upper edge.

The serrated portion of this plate, however, is somewhat wider than the serrated surface h of the feed-bar,

and extends-into a recess,` formed in the plate A at a pointadjacent to to the needle-hole t', (see fig. 3.)

rlhe plate G is so attached to the edge of the feedbar, by a screw, j, passing through its slot j', that it can be raised until its teeth are on-a level with the teeth h. of the'feed-bar, as shown in figs. 4 and 5, or it can be lowered as seen in iig. 6, so that its teeth may be below the level ot' the work-plate.

The plate G- is guided and maintained in a vertical position, when thus adj usted, by means ofa spring pin, 1:,ot` the feed-bar, which passes through its slotted lower end. lThis pin serves also as alock for the said plate, it having ari-enlargement, which bears against and holds the plate when it is lowered, and which enters a recess, on, in the said plate when it is raised, and thus prevents the accidental depression of the same.

When the machine is to be used for button-hole or embroidering work, the supplementary plate Gris low ered, so that the feeding may be effected entirely by the serrated surface It of the feed-bar.'

This surface, as will be best observed in fig. 3, is so situated, in respect to the needle-hole if, (which may be considered as the point around which the work is to be fed,) that it will. act as a side-feed, and will have little or no tendency to carry the work away from the needle in a straight line, and thus interfere with the necessary turning of -the same.

For ordinary straight work, however, a back as well as a side-feed is required, so that the serrated surface 71, used alone, would be found insufiie-ient to properly guide and feed the fabric, hence, when the machine is to be used forthis purpose, the supplementary feedplate or section G must be raised, as shown in gs. 4 and 5,-so as to increase the length and width of the feeding-surface, and situate a portion of the same at the rear of the needle-hole fi'.

It will thus be seen that, by forming a part of the feeding-surface upon an adjustable platebr section,

Athe character of the whole feed may be changed so as to adapt it to the work to be performed by the ma chine. It can, for instance, be arranged asa side-feed for circular and embrcidering work, or as a combined side and back feed for heinming or other straight work'.

If one section G- is not sutlicient, two or more adjustable sections may be employed in conneetion'with the feed-bar withoutdeparting from my invention, nor is it essential that the section or sections shouldbe arranged to slide vertically., as any other method ot' adj ustmcnt may be adopted.

The shuttleM, illustrated in figs. 7,8and 9 ofthe drawing, is of the usual i'orin, it heilig point-ed in front and seniieircular at its vrear end, where there is a rccess fora spool or bobbiu, p, which turns upon the. usual pin, and is retained'in its place by :t flat plate, q, which bears against its exposed sides.

'lhis plate, however, instead of being simply hinged and arranged to turn te one side to release the bobbin as usual, is hung ou a pin, r, in the shuttle-case, and' is squared at this point so as to present shoulders against which bears a loose V-shaped spring, o".

This spring is so arranged, in respect to the shoulders ofthe plate q, that itwill hold the saine in either of the positions shown in iigs. 7 or 9 with suieient force to prevent the said plate from being turned without a slight eiiort` f A spindle, t, extends across the shuttle-ease, and has a hole formed in it through which the thread from thehbobbin is caused to pass, the tension of this thread being regulated with the greatest nicety by simply turning the spindle so as to cause a portion of the thread to be wound upon the same.

As it is important, however, that the tension ofthe thread should notturn the spindle, the latter is generally acted on hyaat spring, which retains it iu the. position to which it is adjusted; but, in the present instance, this is effected by simply splitting rone end of the spindle and slightly bending the elastic fingers thus formed, as shown in fig.10, so that they may "I Claims.

one side of a needle-opening, i', and an adjustable plate, G, which, when elevated, operates at thc rear of' said. opening, substantially as described.

tion G of the feed-bar with a spring lookin g device, K.

3.' The combination of a shuttle anda tension-spindle, so split at one end as to'form elastic lingers, which extend through and bear against the sides ot' an opening in the shuttle-case, substantially as and for the purpose described.

this specitieation in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. GEORGE REHFUSS. \\Yitnesses:

FRANK B. ltwnanbs, HARRY SMITH.

1. rlhe coinbinaton'of a feed-bar, B, operating at t 2. The combination of the adjustable plate or sec- ,t

In testimony whereof l have signedniy naine to H 

